Southern California -- this just in

I-5 pursuit suspect held in deaths of his girlfriend and her sons

May 4, 2012 | 6:12
am

A man who led police on a pursuit in Orange County has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his girlfriend and her two young sons.

Shazer Limas, 31, was wanted for questioning after managers at his former apartment complex called to report finding blood in the unit he had just vacated. Limas had lived in the apartment with his girlfriend, Arlet Hernandez, 31, and her two sons, a 2-year-old and a 3-month-old, said Sgt. Dan Adams of the Orange Police Department.

Police went looking for the family on Thursday and spotted Limas driving near Main Street and Sunflower Avenue, near the border of Santa Ana and Costa Mesa.

Officers tried to pull Limas over, but he fled, leading the CHP on a high-speed chase down the 405 and 5 freeways.

The pursuit ended in a standoff on the I-5 at Camp Pendleton, near the San Onofre nuclear power plant. The freeway was closed in both directions, backing up traffic for miles. After about 45 minutes, Limas surrendered unarmed.

He was questioned Thursday night about the whereabouts of Hernandez and her two children.

Police announced Friday morning that Hernandez had been arrested on three counts of murder.

The motive for the killings remains unclear.

"We do know that there was some sort of an altercation in that apartment based on the evidence that we located," Adams said.

Police believe the three were killed several days ago at the apartment, and that Limas then dumped the bodies elsewhere, Adams said.